Shock-absorbing universal joint



Jan. 6, 1931 E. FRANKLAND SHOCK ABSORBING UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Aug. 15, 1927 iv 2 J in Patented Jan. 6, 19 31 I rwin FRANKLAND, or MILWAUKEEgWISCONSiN I snooK ABsoRBIneuNivERsAL m l Application filed-August 15, sabstnn No. 212,949.

time;

This inventionv relates touniversal joints, These andvarious other objects the invenp bleuniversaljointsofmotorvehiclesis a tendand particularly to universal joints for motor vehicle use. f I Y One offthe objects ioning membersfor establishing the drive,

changesof a 'motor vehicle, and also to prevent transmissionjof what are known as telephonic noises between the driving and driven membersof a universal joint. j V g p One of the defects of present type of flexiency of the propeller shaft todeveloplmore or less eccentricity of travel withrespectl to I the driving member, this being, commonly knownas propeller shaft Whip. It is also one ofthe objects ofthi'sinlvention to establish and maintain "an accurate centeringof the propeller shaftwith respectv to'the driving member of a universal joint so as to eliminate the described efl'ect.

- Another object is toprovide aun'iversal joint, .the driving and drivenelements of which actupon each other solely through cushioning elements which are non-conductors of vibration and which eliminate noise and rattle. A further object is to provide a universal 'jointfeliminating necessity for lubrication and so encased as to prohibit any access of oil or dust. to the interior elements of the joint. r a

' Still anotherobjectis to provide a universal joint establishing a drive through yielding members which are'subject to practically no wear and only to compression stresses, being neverin shear. l j

'A- stillfurther object is to provide a shock absorbing universal joint. of simple and inexpensive construction comprising a mini{ num number of parts which may be rapidly and 'easilyIassembled. I

It is also an object to provide a universal joint comprising yieldable shock absorbing elements through which the drive is normally established and to-assure a continued driving engagement even if said yieldable ,elements undergo complete destruction.

of this invention is to provide auniversal joint" employing cushtion. attains by the construction hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompany- 111gv drawing, wherein:

'iF'gure 1 is-a side elevational view of the improved joint. 7 Figure 2 is an'aXial longitudinalsectional view. taken approximately 'uponthe line 2-52 of Figure l.

F'gure 3 is an axial longitudinal section upontheline 3- 3 of Figure 2. c

c .Figure 4 is a cross sectional View taken upon the line 4-4 of Figure 1. I

Figure 5 is a plan View ofone of-thje'cush ioning driving elementsiof the joint.

QFigure'G is a rear view'ofthe same.

(Figure? is a cross-sectional view of the same taken upon-theiline 77 ofFigure 6.

In. these. views reference characters-11 and 2' designate driving and driven shaft members, the latter in the disclosed embodiment of this invention being tubular.v The jointv establishing a drive'connection between said shafts comprises 7 a spherical soeket-lmemberj 3 formed I of two complementary members meeting asindi'cated at 4, in a diametrical planeiof the socket intersecting, the driving axis of the joint.;, Said members-are secured in their proper complementary relation, .pri-

marilyby a bolt 5 extending diametrically of the socket and transverse to the plane offthe meeting edges. 4, said bolt being suitably headed at one end, and engaged'at its other end by anut 6, .For'mounting the socket member 3 upon the shaft 1 there is keyed or otherwise securedup'on'said shaft a collar? formed with an annular flange 8, which is bolted, as indicated at 9, to an annular flange 10 formed integrally with the complementary members of said socket. Preferably the flange 8 is slightly increased in thickness adj acent toits circumference so as to slightly overlap the edge face of'the flange 10, so as to supplement the bolt 5 in maintaining the halves of the socket member in complementary relation.

Intothe shaft" 2 is pressed or otherwise secured a plug llwhich integrally carries a disc 12 disposed centrally within the socket 3 with amarginal clearance from the interiorv bearings'lojfor the bolt 5'.

faceof said socket, as is best seen in Figure 2.

'It'is preferred to form the member 11, 12 Wltll tlreduced neck 12a'between the parts 11 and 12 to increase the clearancebetween the member 11, Band the edge of a circular opening 1279, through which said member projects from' the socket, said. opening being jointly formed in "the halves ofsaid socket. To maintain the disc 12 properly centered in the socket 8 it is preferred to mountcentrally and rotatably' upon the bolt 5a ball 13," formed preferably of -asoundinsulating material such as will not transmit noises through the oint, said ball fitting -in..a..suitable op'eniing centrally formed in the disc 12. Theball 13 mai-nta-inedin' its central position upon the bolt -5'-by similarly forming the complementary'membersof the socket 3 with radial interior ribsll, the inner edges of which 'conform'to'the surface of said ball, :which ribs are 7 centrally enlarged and. boredfto form The disc l2 a nd ri'bs 14 dividethe-interior. space ofthe socketlinto four segmental chambersin each of which is fitted a similar'yield able shock absorbing, drive-transmitting element'lfi, formed preferably-of rubber sufiiciently soft to undergo a suitable degree. of compress on and expansion 're"sponsive. to variations in the driving stresses. or torque.

Said elements form approximate quarters of r a sphere, each having two normallytransverse faces engaging' respectively the disc 12' and one'fo'f the ribs 14. "To render-said .ele-

ments more elastically responsive to ithe'dri v 1n g torque, 1 t is preferred to form each of said elements'with a plurality of slots 17'opening in' the plane faces of said elements and ex tending transversely to the driving axis j of the'joint.

i To eliminate sliding'ofhthe elements 16 relative to the engage-d faces ofthe disc.12

under driving conditions, and to avoid the wear and the generation of heat that would result from such sliding, it is preferred to form the disc- 12 in each of its. side faces throughout the area of said faces with a pln rality of small projections, as may best be seen in Figure 2, which; projections under driving conditions imbed themselves in the elements 2 and thus secure the desired result.

In the use ofthe describedjoint, assuming the shaft 1 to be driven, thesocket 3 will first undergo. a slight rotation.rel'ativefto the driven members.

ribs 14 upon the disc- 12 to drive the shaft 2,

thus establishing the drive without metallic contact of any sort between the driving and ments 16- which function as driving members, and are consequently under 'compresslon, are

,When a reversedrive is transmitted through the joint the two ele-.

the same two elements which are permitted to expand during a forward drive. The constantlyoccurring changes in the angular relation between the shafts land 2 are permitted by a slight rocking of the disc 12 upon the ball 13 about the axis of the bolt 5, and by subjection of thesegments 16 to a slight compres sion acting from end to end of said members.

I Since the elements 1.6 respond] to driving stresses almost-entirely by internal distortion there is no appreciable wear upon said members, and they may be depended upon to function properly during the entire useful life of the motor vehicle, or other mechanism of which the'described joint is a feature.

'The use of elastic elements '16 renders the use of lubricantunnecessary. Furthermore, owing to the detrimental action of oil upon rubber, it is desirable to adequately safeguard the joint against any access of lubricating or-other oils to'said elements lfi. The. complete enclosure of said elements within the socket-forming member establishes such a safeguard.

' If through strains'arisingare sufficiently severe to disin- -tegratetherubber drive elements:16, there will stillbe maintained a drive connection through the engagement occurmgunder such conditions between the disc 12 and ribs 14.;

'1 It will be noted that the construction comprises relatively few parts and that these may be readily formed without machining of surfaces andmay'be quickly and easily assembled. 1 V i 7 While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein dis closed are well calculated toadeqnately fulfill the objects and"advantages fprimarily stated, it is to be understood that the inven tion is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the'spirit and scope. of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A'universal joint comprisinga socket member formed in complementary halves, meeting in a planeintersecting the driving axis of said socket, a connection between the halves-of said socket extending through the 7 socket, a rib 'interiorly projecting from each 7 V carelessness or abuse of the" mechanism of which said o nt is a part, the

half of said socket, a'disc member within said socket, and yieldable. shock-absorbing members disposed within said "socket between said disc member and ribs and transmitting adrive therebetween.

2. A universal -'oint comprising a driving and a drivenmember, one thereof forming a substantially spherical socket, a ball carried by said socket member, means holding the said ball centered in said socket member, the other .of said driving and driven members being disposed within said socket-member 1 and centered therein by engagement with said ball, "and yieldable shock-absorbing elements arranged within said socket member around saidball and-establishing a drive between said members. p v

3. Auniversal joint comprising a driving and a driven member, one thereof forming a substantially spherical socket, formed in complementarylhalves, a bolt extending diametric ally of'said socket and securing said halves in their complementary relation, a ball carried by said bolt centrally within the socket member. a pair of ribs formed. one

upon each half of the socket member projecting'into said member and holdingsa1d ball centeredupon the bolt, the other of said driving and driven. members having theform of a disc disposed -within theisocket member-and centrally apertured to embrace said ball, and a plurality of yieldable ShOCk-.'

absorbing drive elements disposed within the socket betweensaid disc and ribs.

versal movement of the disc relative to the- 4. A universaljoint comprising a driving and a dr ven member, one thereof forming a substantially spherical socket and the other forming a disc disposed within said socket, means maintaining said disc centered within the socket providingfor a limited unisocket' member, and a pluralityof yieldable shock-absorbing elements within the socket transmitting a drive between the disc memher and socket member, the disc member having protuberances upon its lateral faces to eliminate slidlng between said faces and said shock absorbing elements.

5. Auniversal joint comprising a driving and a driven member, and a plurality of yieldable shock-absorbing elements establishing a drive connection between said members, said elements being channeled to increase their compressibility,

6. A universal joint comprising-a driving and a driven member, one thereof forming a substantially spherical socket having interior driving projections, and the other of said members being disposed within said socket between said projections, and a plurality of yieldable shock-absorbing elements disposed within said socket between saidprojections and the said member within the socket transmitting a drive therebetween, said shock absorbing members being each formed with a plurality of channels. extending transversely to the driving axis of the joint for increasing the compressibility of said. elements.

7. A universal joint comprising a driving and a driven member, one thereof forming a substantially spherical socket and the other being disposed within said socket, means maintainingfthe,Ememberrwithimther-socket substantially centered in the. socket, a pai'nof opposedinterior drivingprojections upon the socket, yieldable shock: absorbing elements within I the socket transmitting 1 a drive be; tween said membertherein and said interior projections of the socket-,said' interior member and said yieldable elements having intere fitting portions to resist sliding between their engagedfacesi' g 3 A; .5 8.; A universal joi t comprising adrivling anda'driven member and a plurality of yieldable shock absorbing elements establishing 'a drivecdhndtionbetween said members, said elements being each formed with a plurality of openings to increase their compressibility. f

9. A universal joint comprising a driving and a driven member, one thereof having the form" of a substantially spherical socket and thefother being .disposed "within said socket, aball formed of sound insulating ma terial disposed substantially centrally in said socket member for centering said inner mem- 7 her of. the oint, means carried by the socket member for holding said ball centered within the socket, a pair of interior driving projections uponthe socket at opposite sides of said interior member, and shock absorbing elements. within the socket establishing a drive between said interior member and the socket. v v

10. A universal joint comprising a driving and a driven member, 'onethereof forminga v substantially spherical socket, receiving the other and being formed with a pair of opposed interior driving projections, a ball aring a substantially spherical socket receiving 7 the other and formed in complementary halves,a bolt extending diametrically of said socket and securing said halves in their complementary. relation, means carried by said bolt in the central portion of the socket for centering the inner of the two first named '1 members, a pair of opposite interior projections upon the socket member, and yieldable.

shock absorbing elements within the socket transmitting a drive between said projections and said inner member of the joint;

12. A universal joint comprising a driving and a driven member, one thereof forming a substantially spherical socket, receiving the other, a ball disposed substantially centrally within said socket and centering the ballin a diametrical relation to the socket, bearings for said diametrical member formed interiorly uponthe socket'm'ember and'lcenteiing said bal'lrup'on said diametrical mem- V her, a pairiof intrior drive projections on the I sockta-t opposite sides ofsaid ball; andyieldablshock; absorbiiig drive transmission Telements b tween said inner member-iofthejoint and said 3 projections.

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"'EDwi iFRA kLAND 

